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International Fashion Showcase 2017 winners announced

The British Council, British Fashion Council (BFC) and Mercedes-Benz today announced the winners of the International Fashion Showcase, in a prize-giving ceremony at Somerset House, London. Sarah Mower MBE, BFC Ambassador for Emerging Talent and Chief Critic Vogue Runway, and Bettina Haussmann, Senior Manager Sponsoring and Product Placement Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars, presented The International Fashion Showcase Designer Award to Younchan Chung of the-sirius for his impressive design showcased in the Korean installation. For the first time, Mercedes-Benz presented the winning designer with the unique opportunity to showcase their collection at Milan Fashion Week, one of over 50 Mercedes-Benz global fashion platforms. The following designers also received special mentions: Katerina Plamitzerova (Czech Republic) and Vanessa Schindler (Switzerland).

The International Fashion Showcase Country Award was given to India for its exhibition ‘The Indian Pastoralists’, with a special mention for the Chile and Czech Republic exhibitions.

The International Fashion Showcase Curation Award was presented to Wojciech Dziedzic and Agnieszka Jacobson–Cielecka of Poland, with special mentions for Julie HJ Lee of Korea and Roxanne Chen of Taiwan.Winning country India was selected from 26 participating countries by a panel of industry experts. Its presentation, organised by IMG Reliance, showcased the emerging talents of Ikai by Ragini Ahuja, Kaleekal, Ka-Sha by Karishma Shahani Khan, P.E.L.L.A. and Antar-Agni by Ujjawal Dubey; and of Wasim Khan as exhibition designer and Gautam Vazirani as curator.

The judging panel is chaired by Sarah Mower MBE, BFC Ambassador for Emerging Talent and Chief Critic at Vogue Runway. Sarah said: “The incredible creative response from all the countries and designers who have taken part in International Fashion Showcase 2017 edition has taken this annual competition to the next level of importance. The theme of Local/Global has resonated in profound reflections on the environment, identity and the strands which bind people together through generations. Quite apart from the imagination and quality of design and the curation, the conversations exchanged between the exhibitors and visitors have been extraordinarily enlightening - human experiences which have actively promoted understanding, mutual respect and delight in creativity. It is impossible not to walk away from this exhibition without feeling that the hope, resourcefulness and intelligence of the world's young people is capable of pulling the world through the dark and divisive times which face us now.”

Winner of the International Fashion Showcase Designer Award, Younchan Chung of the-sirius, said: “Thank you for the amazing prize. What news! I am so honored to be a part of IFS 2017, and really appreciate the opportunity to spread the word of the-sirius thanks to the British Council, BFC and Mercedes-Benz. I am really happy to win this prize as I only started the-sirius in Seoul Fashion Week last year, but I have dreamed of being a part of the global fashion industry.”

The IFS is a series of specially-commissioned and curated fashion installations featuring work by emerging designers from all over the world. The exhibition is arranged over 14 rooms, 13 of which represent a country. There is one group installation, Next in Line, curated by Shonagh Marshall which features designers from nine further nations. New to IFS 2017, in a dedicated area, Mercedes-Benz showcase five emerging designers from Canada, China, Germany, Portugal and Ukraine who the brand supports through its International Designer Exchange Programme (IDEP). The free, public exhibition continues until 21 February.

The British Council and the British Fashion Council would like to thank Bonaveri, sponsor of Next in Line and official mannequin supplier to the International Fashion Showcase; our partners London College of Fashion and Fashion Scout for the mentoring and showcasing opportunities offered to the International Fashion Showcase designers; exhibition suppliers Michelmersh Brick Holdings PLC and Retrouvius; and event supporters Warnsteiner.